PH not yet ready for nuclear energy, says lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is not yet ready for nuclear energy, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said on Thursday.

“Hindi pa tayo ready. Pero nag-uumpisa na maging ready (We are not yet ready, but we are starting to become ready),” the senator during the Kapihan sa Senado sa forum.

“Hindi pa tayo ready. In fact, wala pa tayong regulator. In fact, yung mga treaties na dapat natin pirmahan, I think may mga apat o lima pang treaties na dapat natin pirmahan. On waste disposal, on safe use of nuclear, hindi pa natin tapos yan. Yung mga magpapatakbo ng planta, ito kailangan ng technical people. So hindi pa tayo ready. Pero nag-uumpisa na maging ready,” he added.

(We are not yet ready. In fact, we still don’t have a regulator. In fact, there are still about four or five treaties that we have to sign. On waste disposal, on safe use of nuclear energy, we are not yet done with it. Those who will run the plants, we need technical people. So we’re not yet ready, but we are starting to become ready.)

According to Gatchalian, his “mind is open” when it comes to nuclear energy, but he emphasized the need to thoroughly study it before the country decides on utilizing such.

Gatchalian also said that it would be better to build a new nuclear power instead of considering the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

“Nakita ko yung interview ng Russian ambassador. Sabi niya, economically unviable na ito. May mga nakausap akong experts sa Korea. Sabi nila, mas maganda pang magtayo ng bagong planta dahil new technology, mas episyente, mas safe. Kaya ako hindi ako technical expert. Sa akin, common sense, mas maganda pang magpatayo ng bago na planta dahil bagong teknolohiya yung gagamitin natin,” he said.

(According to the Russian ambassador, this is now economically unviable. I’ve also talked to some experts in Korea and according to them, it would be better if we build a new plant and that would be more efficient with new technology and it would also be more safe. I am not a technical expert, but for me – just common sense – I think it would be better for us to establish a new plant.)